Manipulation: Out of the mouth of babes.

My youngest wanted to go up to the neighbor’s house with his older brother for some male bonding. Considering his older bro brings home necklaces made with alleged marijuana root (although I think it is just rope), I thought it would be a good parental decision to keep him home! Plus older bro was in need of some mature guy time. Don’t ask me why older bro is allowed to hang out there…just because! Enraged at my decision, my youngest said “If you don’t let me go, I’ll hate you forever!” I smiled communicating the ineffectiveness of his words to alter my decision. Staring at me, he slowly tilted his head. With a twinkle in his eyes he said “If you let me go, I’ll go to heaven…If you don’t then I’ll go to Hell. Now, which will it be? Heaven or Hell? Are you willing to send me to Hell?” Smart boy. He obviously realized the importance of these two places and figured the destination of his soul would hold more weight than his fleeting emotion toward me. How quickly they learn the skillful art of manipulation. So what did I do? What any good parent would do. I told him no one could damn his soul to hell other than the outright rejection of Jesus as the son of God and promptly shoved my face with food (conveniently it was dinner time) and ignored, via selective hearing, all further wails of protest.